Ian's 24

Sunday, 18 October 2009

At 12.28 I completed my 250th lap, or 100 km in distance, and left the track. I had been having a number of problems since 10.30 or so: I had been violently sick a couple of times and couldn't keep any food down; because I couldn't take food I was really struggling to run at all and was having to walk; and as I walked I was getting really cold in the near freezing conditions. So I decided to cut my losses, get to 100 km and decide that was enough. As I sit here at Dave's at 3 am, having had a hot bath and some Weetabix, I have no doubts it was the right decision. There was no point at all walking round a track for another 11 and a half hours, probably risking hypothermia.

Thanks to everyone for all their messages of support, but especially to Dave, Lee, Hannah and Jamie who put up with some very cold conditions without the slightest moan. I'm huegly grateful to you.

I'm sure I will have a fuller report in due course. On the positive side at least it wasn't a DNF - it was just a bit less distance than I had hoped for.

Saturday, 17 October 2009

He's digging in now. I won't share the photo the Pirate sent me of the trackside pizza but needless to say he's having difficulty keeping food down now! I spoke to him a wee while ago and he's running 3 laps then walking 1 lap. Target is to beat Perth total.

As we approach 10 hours here at Tooting the relentless pounding of the track and the tedium of going round and round and round and round is having a negative effect on many of the runners. Dejected faces are abound and there are athletes vomiting here and there. Our man has emptied his stomach of theStewed apples and rice pudding that he took on board a while ago. He continues to push on, however. With 211 laps under his belt it seems achieving 500 laps might be a wee ambitious. Therefore there has been a redirecting of effort to achieve a PB for a 24 hour race. This looks very achievable and Ian is rockin' in 24th place. The man currently at the front of the pack, Paul Fernandez is haring round the track and seems not to have broken stride yet. Some people are simply machine-like. Other WHW Family present are Rachel and Ian McCuaig, Aileen Scott, Paul Hart and Ray McCurdy. Ian has been told of all the kind texts and calls. Thanks all and log in again soon.

Through the seven hour point and Ian is still going well. The minor roller coaster of highs and lows appear to be continuing as the minutes become hours and the laps mount up. Ian has just completed 165 laps in 7:22:25. This is slightly outside the plan but Ian has decided to not be driven by his goal but to keep moving forward positively. It's likely that we'll be back on track after a few strong laps. The first casualty of the race, a young fella whose support crew were next to us, has retired with a gammy knee...oh how I know how that feels. It's dark now and the track is floodlit. Either the night time, the artificial light or a chat with his lovely wife has had a fortunate effect on Ian cos he's shifting like Mike Mason with an Essex Constabulary cop car in his rear view mirror right now. Get in Ian!!

At 5:01:48 Ian completed 120 laps of the Tooing Bec running track. He's been running well but is in a tough spell right now. It seems that the highs and lows of an ultra run occur more often on the track but maybe are less intense. Only Ian can answer that and I ain't gonna ask him the noo! We had a wee discrepancy earlier with Ian insisting he'd done one less lap than we'd recorded. A check with the official lap counter confirmed us correct. Ian has employed a Fiona Rennie suggested system of lap counting by moving an elastic band from one finger to another each time a lap is completed.When the band reaches his pinky he knows he's done a set of five laps. Ian forgot that the sixth finger on his left hand might render this system inefficient. Laters.